Rights inquiry to question Gen. Wiranto on Friday

Rights inquiry to question Gen. Wiranto on Friday

JAKARTA (JP): The government-sanctioned commission of inquiry
into human rights abuses in East Timor (KPP HAM) will question
former military chief Gen. Wiranto on Friday about violence in
the territory after the Aug. 30 self-determination referendum
there, a military officer said on Thursday.

Chief of the military prosecutor's office Maj. Gen. Timor P.
Manurung told The Jakarta Post Wiranto, who is now coordinating
minister for political affairs and security, "seems to be able to
answer the summons from KPP HAM at two p.m. on Friday".

"According to the new schedule from KPP HAM, he (Wiranto) was
actually going to be questioned next Tuesday, but he said the
sooner the better," Timor said.

Wiranto failed to appear before KPP HAM for questioning on
Wednesday, saying he needed more time to prepare his testimony.

Wiranto is one of several senior military officers due to be
questioned by the inquiry in the coming weeks. All of the
officers were connected to or responsible for overseeing security
in East Timor following the Aug. 30 ballot.

The other officers due for questioning are Lt. Gen. Johny
Lumintang, Maj. Gen. Zacky Anwar Makarim, Maj. Gen. Adam Damiri,
Maj. Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, Brig. Gen. Tono Suratman, Brig.
Gen. Glen Kairupan and police Brig. Gen. Timbul Silaen.

Timor was speaking after accompanying the former commander of
the Tribuana Intelligence Task Force in East Timor, Lt. Col.
Yayat Sudrajat from the Army's Special Force (Kopassus), to his
questioning by KPP HAM on Thursday.

Timor later said Johny, who was the Army's deputy chief of
staff at the time the self-determination referendum was held in
East Timor, would also be questioned late Thursday.

"Pak Johny is actually scheduled to be questioned on Monday,
but he said that he will leave for the Christmas holiday on
Friday, so the schedule has been moved forward," Timor said.

He added that he hoped the questioning of the other generals
would be completed by Dec. 31.

Earlier in the day, Eurico Guterres, leader of the Aitarak
pro-Indonesia militia group admitted his group and several other
prointegration militias engaged in acts of destruction, but
contended they were not acting on orders from the military.

Eurico defended the actions, saying many people were angry at
losing the August ballot and spontaneously went on a rampage.

He did not detail to what extent the militias were responsible
for the violence and damage in East Timor.

"We burned down our own houses because we were angry the
proindependence supporters won the ballot unfairly," he told
journalists. "But we were never trained by the military."

The militias have been accused of wanton violence and
destruction after the East Timorese overwhelmingly rejected
wide-ranging autonomy under the Indonesian government, a result
which was tantamount to a vote for independence.

UN officials and KPP HAM members have accused the military of
establishing and equipping the militias and then turning a blind
eye to their violence.

Eurico, who failed to appear before KPP HAM on Wednesday,
claimed he was never summoned by the commission.

KPP HAM secretary Asmara Nababan later confirmed Eurico was
not directly summoned, but noted that the commission had asked
Minister of Defense Juwono Sudarsono to ensure the militia leader
would appear before the panel to answer questions. (byg/emf)